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Extortion and Violence Grip Peru, Fueling Election Panic
🇦🇷 Argentina /Elections & Politics

Extortion and Violence Grip Peru, Fueling Election Panic

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Peru is experiencing a surge in extortion and violence, creating widespread panic that is significantly impacting the upcoming election.
  • The district of San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima's most populous area, faces extreme poverty, overcrowding in prisons, and a growing criminal presence, particularly extortion targeting small businesses and informal workers.
  • Residents and workers describe constant psychological pressure and threats, with police struggling to contain the escalating crisis, leading to a general sense of uncertainty ahead of the election.

Peru is grappling with a pervasive wave of extortion and violence that has instilled widespread panic, casting a dark shadow over the nation's upcoming election. The chaotic streets of Lima, particularly in densely populated and precarious districts like San Juan de Lurigancho, serve as a stark backdrop to this escalating crisis. This district, home to over 1.2 million people, suffers from extreme poverty, inadequate public services, and severe overcrowding in its penal institutions, including the infamous Penal de Lurigancho.

Before, they extorted those who had a lot of money, now even the one who sells cookies on the street.

— CarlosDescribing the widening scope of extortion victims in Peru.

Criminal groups have intensified their presence, making extortion a prevalent crime affecting merchants and informal workers alike. Carlos, a food delivery cyclist who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal, described how extortion has shifted from targeting the wealthy to ensnaring even street vendors. Criminals "set a price on your life and come to collect the bill," he explained, detailing the daily or weekly demands that inflict constant psychological damage through threats against individuals and their families.

They put a price on your life and come to collect the bill.

— CarlosExplaining the modus operandi of extortion gangs.

Carla, an employee at a local eatery, echoed these sentiments, noting the significant deterioration of the security situation in recent years. She stated that police resources are stretched thin in such a large district, where even petty crimes can lead to fatal consequences. Juan, a bus driver, expressed concern over both rising insecurity and the declining purchasing power of working Peruvians, recalling participation in protests against extortion despite a reported decrease in some crimes, with threats persisting.

The damage is psychological and constant, because they threaten your family and your life.

— CarlaDescribing the emotional toll of constant threats from criminal groups.

The expansion of extortion rackets, targeting small business owners and informal laborers, is not an isolated issue but a recurring problem across Lima's 43 districts. This pervasive insecurity contributes to a palpable sense of uncertainty as Peru heads into an election, with voters facing a choice between Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez amidst a climate of fear and instability.

There are people who are killed for five dollars.

— JuanIllustrating the severity and perceived triviality of motives behind some violent crimes.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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